All Stressed Out
by joedan84
Summary: After Ryan's revelation about Pete's insecurities, Clark decides to have a talk with Pete.


Started: December 11, 2002

Finished: January 11, 2003

Last Episode Seen Before Writing: Skinwalker

Pairing: Pete, Clark, friendship

Rating: PG

Category: Drama

Spoilers: Duplicity, Ryan, pretty much any Season 1 or 2.

Summary: After Ryan's revelation about Pete's insecurities, Clark decides to have a talk with Pete.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these spectacular characters, or this amazing show. 

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All Stressed Out

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Ryan: (_Worried_) Pete knows your secret. 

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Clark: Yeah, I know. I told him. It's all right. 

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Ryan: Did you know he's all stressed out about it? 

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Clark: _(surprised)_ No. Why? 

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Ryan: He's worried that one day he'll slip up and tell someone. Then they'll lock you up in a place like Summerholt.

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--Ryan James and Clark Kent (Ryan)

"Break any speed barriers on your way to school, Clark?" Chloe teased as Clark jogged up to them outside of SHS.

Clark grinned his Kent charm smile. "Just one or two," he said, linking an arm around her shoulders. His smile dropped a notch when he saw Pete's tense expression.

"Better watch out, Clark, or you'll end up on the Wall of Weird," Chloe warned, smiling brightly.

Pete visibly stiffened beside Chloe, his breathing shallow.

"You going to the Torch?" Clark asked, looking down at Chloe.

Chloe smiled up at him. "Like always."

Clark nodded. "We'll meet you there. I need to talk to Pete."

A look of disappointment crossed Chloe's features.

"Five minutes. I promise," Clark said, releasing her with an assuring smile.

Chloe's face brightened. "Alright. I'll go find Lana and meet you there," she said, walking away with a skip in her step.

"Hey, are you okay?" Clark asked, walking with Pete down the hall.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" Pete asked, shrugging off Clark's question.

Clark didn't know how to bring this up. "She always jokes like that, Pete. It's not a big deal."

Pete stopped for a split second. "Yeah, I know."

"Are you really okay?" Clark asked, narrowing his eyes at Pete.

"I never realized how much people joked about something with you, and it was really true," Pete admitted.

"Well, that's my fault, Pete. It's not your problem to cover for me," Clark told him honestly.

"What if I slip up and tell someone?" Pete asked, stopping a few doors away from the Torch.

"You won't," Clark said surely.

"I did with Hamilton," Pete threw back.

Clark's mouth dropped. "What?!"

"He asked me whose…it was," Pete trailed off when Clark nodded. "And I told him it belonged to someone a lot tougher than him. I might as well have told him it was yours."

Clark was at a loss for words. "I had no idea."

"Boys, you coming?" Chloe asked, walking past them with Lana.

"Just a minute, Chloe," Clark called back.

"Yeah, well I did. What if I do again? What if Chloe makes a joke and I slip up? What if Lana comments on something you did and I accidentally say something?"

"I trust you, Pete. I trust that you won't," Clark said to his friend. 

"I just wish I trusted myself," Pete said, following Chloe and Lana into the Torch.

"Pete," Clark called, walking after his friend.

Pete turned, just inside the Torch office. "What, Clark?" he asked tiredly.

Lana and Chloe turned from where they were sitting at Chloe's computer to watch the boys.

"Nothing," Clark answered sadly, glancing at Chloe and Lana.

***

"Hey, Clark. Why the long face?" Martha asked, pulling a pie out of the oven.

Clark sat at the island with a sigh. 

Martha set the pie on the stove, and walked to Clark. "What's wrong?" she asked, brushing his hair away from his face.

"Pete," Clark answered simply.

Martha became alarmed. "He didn't tell anyone, did he?"

"No," Clark answered quickly, his head snapping up to look at her. "But he's afraid he will."

"I'm sure he won't, honny. Pete's a good friend. He would never tell anyone," Martha said in a soothing voice.

"Maybe I shouldn't have told him," Clark said, leaning away from his mom in anticipation of what she might say.

"It's a little too late for regret now, isn't it?" Martha asked, giving Clark her best marental look.

"Yeah," Clark answered.

"You've told him, and you can't take it back," Martha repeated.

Clark stood. 'Thanks for the vote of confidence. I feel a whole lot better," he said sarcastically, turning to leave.

Martha took his arm, stopping him. "Do you want me to talk to him?" she asked, looking up at her son.

Clark broke into a grin. "I thought you'd never ask. He's coming over for dinner."

"You planned this, didn't you?" Martha asked.

"Yup," Clark told her, grabbing a cookie out of the bin on the counter with a grin.

***

"Clark?" Pete called through the screen door.

"Come in, Pete," Martha called to him.

"Hey, Mrs. Kent," Pete said with a smile, opening the door. "Is Clark around?"

"He's out in the field with Jonathan. They're trying to dig another irrigation ditch before dinner. He should be back any minute," Martha answered. "How are you?"

"I'm great," Pete said with a smile.

"Really?" Martha asked, eyeing the young boy.

"If Clark talked to you, he didn't need to," Pete said. "I'm fine."

"He's just worried about you, Pete. He's never told anyone before," Martha explained. "It's new for him, too."

"I know. That's what makes it so bad. He's put all this trust in me. I'm the best friend who knows the secret. A secret that if I accidentally let slip could cost him his life. He doesn't understand what a big burden that is, Mrs. Kent," Pete said, his emotions showing through.

"No, he doesn't," Martha agreed, sitting next to the young boy. "But Jonathan and I do. Clark has had to keep his secret from everyone, but it was his secret. It was different for us. Clark thought and thinks about his powers on a daily basis by having to keep them under control. Jonathan and I don't dwell on it that much. It's much easier for us to slip up when we're not the ones with the powers."

"Yeah, but you aren't around Chloe, and Lana, and everyone else when they're making jokes. Talking about how Clark's so fast it's as if he's gone through a black hole, or that he seems incredibly strong," Pete said, looking at Martha. "It's so hard because that's the truth. He is fast, he is strong, and a whole lot of other stuff. It's so hard not to just nod my head, and agre, and put in my two cents like I've always done."

"You're afraid that if you agree and joke that Chloe will think you're serious and find out?" Martha asked knowingly.

Pete nodded. "And do you know what makes it worse?" he asked, sadness in his eyes.

"What?" Martha asked softly.

"When Chloe makes a comment about how fast Clark is and he says he took a short cut, or when Lana jokes about how good he is at math and Clark says he's a quick learner, or when Chloe says something about how easily he lifted something and Clark says it's farm work," Pete said, his voice dropping. "That's when it's the worst."

"Why, Pete? What makes that any different than the jokes?" Martha asked in confusion.

"Because then Clark isn't brushing it off with a joke back. Then Clark is flat out lying. He knows it, and I know it, but Chloe and Lana don't. They trust him and he's lying to them," Pete said, obviously torn.

"Pete, there are consequences, and aftereffects of those lies, and untruths. Clark knows that, but he has to live with them. There's no other way. He understands what's he's doing and it kills him to have to do so," Martha told the boy.

Pete smiled sadly. "I know, but I just can't stand that he's lying to Chloe, our best friend."

"He can't either, Pete, but it's a part of his life," Martha replied.

"I'll stop if it will make you feel better," came a voice from behind the two.

Pete turned. "Clark, how much did you hear?"

Clark smiled at his friend. "Another power I have is superhearing," Clark said. "I'll stop making stuff up, Pete. I didn't know it bothered you so much."

"Well, it does," Pete said, pushing himself off of the stool.

Clark shrugged. "Then I'll stop. Simple as that. Chloe jokes about a power she thinks I have, I'll just smile. Lana makes a comment about something, I'll just shrug. No more bold faced lies."

Pete nodded, starting to smile. "Yeah, you better," he teased.

Clark broke into a grin. "What are you going to do about it?" he asked with a mischievous gleam in his eye.

"Whip your butt once and for all in basketball," Pete replied, grabbing the ball off of the table and throwing it at Clark.

Clark caught the ball quickly, but in his haste caught it too hard. The ball deflated with a funny sort of sigh. "Oops?"

"Oops? You know you did that on purpose. You were just afraid you were going to lose," Pete said with a smirk.

"I can take you any day of the week," Clark said, tossing the rubber back to Pete.

"Powers or no powers, ball or no ball, you're going down," Pete replied, jogging from the room.

"Mom?" Clark asked, shooting a wary glance at Martha.

Martha smiled encouragingly. "He'll be fine, sweetheart. Just try not to cover yourself with lies so much, okay? That was his main worry."

"Thanks," Clark said, reaching over to kiss Martha's cheek before moving to walk from the room.

"Oh, and Clark?" Martha asked, calling him back.

"Yeah, Mom?" Clark asked, turning to face her.

"You made the right choice telling Pete," Martha said with a proud smile. "He's a good young man. I don't trust anyone more than I trust him."

Clark smiled widely. "I know, Mom," he said, walking from the room. "I know."


End file.
